Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest

The croissant was perfect — flaky on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside, and tasted super fresh. You can tell it’s made with quality ingredients. The matcha was just as good! Smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet. It had that rich, earthy matcha flavor without being bitter. Definitely one of the better matchas I’ve had. Great spot for a quick breakfast and a solid drink. I’ll for sure be back! Highly recommended

I've always used the PB location, but this was my first time at the Hillcrest. I parked on the street. The spacious, high-ceilinged space is spacious and relaxing. It's amazing that there's a second floor too👍🏼I'd love to come again. The coffee is much better than Starbucks'. The matcha latte was extremely sweet, so if you want it less sweet, it's best to ask for it.

I visited Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest and was impressed overall. The cafe has a bright, trendy vibe with plenty of seating — great for hanging out, working, or catching up with friends. But overall I love this place the employees bring out the vibe

I have been coming here since college great place to grab coffee and study/work. My most recent visit, I made a mistake an ordered at the wrong location, I called that location, so they wouldn’t make my order. I walked in to the Hillcrest location, I explained my situation they were so kind and were able to take care of my order. Great service and good drinks. My go to is the best drink ever ( 1/2 sweet).

I drop by this better Buzz quite frequently and have always been pleased with the environment and the service. My order is always made to perfection every time and every employee I’ve interacted with has been sweet and generous. The environment of this Better Buzz is amazing. Great music playing at all times and a beautiful upstairs and environment to chill and get your work done. Highly recommend- favorite better buzz and be been to!

Absolutely loved this coffee shop! The coffee tasted delicious, and I was really happy with it. The café itself is beautiful inside—such a cool, welcoming spot to hang out. Zoe took our order and was incredibly kind and helpful. She even gave our baby a little “coffee” made of whipped cream, which was such a sweet touch. I’d definitely go back. Great service, great coffee, and a great spot!!

Great cafe. Lofty atmosphere - great for work/study. Coffee was delicious. Can also recommend their cones

The staff is very friendly and attentive. I value a good coffee and I was so happy with the recommendation I received the first time I came, so I returned the next day for the same coffee order. That’s how you retain customers, good job! It is a pity I am not local and won’t be able to come by daily.

The croissant was perfect -- flaky on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside, and tasted super fresh. You can tell it's made with quality ingredients. The matcha was just as good! Smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet. It had that rich, earthy matcha flavor without being bitter. Definitely one of the better matchas I've had. Great spot for a quick breakfast and a solid drink. I'll for sure be back!

Great chill place to go to have a cup of coffee. Great coffee options. Quick service by the staff so that you can quickly hang out and chill or go about your day. The inside is always clean and always have space to sit and hang out.

Candice and the entire Better Buzz team in Hillcrest are incredible! Their customer service is top-tier--so welcoming, kind, and attentive. You can really feel the positive energy the moment you walk in. Experiences like this are rare, and it's why I'll definitely keep coming back. Huge shoutout to this amazing team! From your loyal customer Fernando

A must-stop for us while in San Diego on business. Coffee and service are consistent. The inside is large with seating upstairs as well. It's a neat place. Line moves quickly, so don't worry, it'll be worth it! I really enjoyed their twist on an Americano. "Best drink ever," so good! The avocado toast was pretty good as well.

The hazelnut latte had the most reviews on Yelp, but it wasn't very impressive--they don't use real hazelnuts, just a flavored sweetener. If you have a nut allergy, this latte should be fine since it isn't made with actual nuts, though it's still best to confirm with the barista. The honey latte, on the other hand, was excellent and easily the best drink we tried. The service was great as well--they made a mistake on one of our drinks and gave it to us for free. The ambiance is really nice, making it a great spot to study, relax, or catch up with friends.

Alyssa truly went above and beyond in a way that deserves to be recognized. I placed an order through Uber Eats, and unfortunately there was an issue with my order. When I contacted Uber Eats for help, the situation was dismissed and no effort was made to fix the problem, which was incredibly frustrating and stressful. I decided to contact the store directly, and Alyssa answered the phone. From the very beginning, Alyssa was extremely kind, patient, understanding, and genuinely apologetic. Instead of brushing the issue off, Alyssa listened carefully and immediately worked to make things right. What made this experience truly exceptional is the level of care Alyssa showed regarding my specific needs. I am disabled and have many food allergies, which makes ordering food safely very challenging. Alyssa took the time to ensure my meal was not only corrected, but made accessible and safer for me. That level of compassion, awareness, and attention to detail is rare and deeply appreciated. A situation that started out frustrating was completely turned around because of Alyssa's amazingness and kindness. Customer service like this makes a huge difference, especially for people with disabilities and dietary restrictions. I am incredibly grateful and thankful for Alyssa's help, and this experience has left a lasting positive impression. Thank you, Alyssa, for truly caring and for going above and beyond. This is what 5-star service feels like!

OG açaí bowl was sooo good. all the fruit was so fresh and the granola was amazing. it was a perfect serving too

I love this Better Buzz location. The people are always friendly and the space is great. And of course the drinks are delicious too. They have plenty of tables and couches if you want to get some work done and the wifi is reliable. It is a great spot for people watching, so... Don't get distracted!

Vibe is hitting. Proudly queer friendly. Food was good. Chai tea latte was great. I'm a snob with these drinks and theirs has this unexpected spice but it's still sweet how I like it. Very pleased!

After a busy day, we needed a boost. My son suggested Better Buzz and I said let's go. This location also roasts beans. From their website i learned Better Buzz is certified by CCOF as an ORGANIC Coffee Roaster. Just an interesting fact if you prefer organic. The interior is gorgeous. A mix of textures, lots of geometry, kind of modern yet industrial surrounded by wood and glass and greenery. The lighting are glass pendants. This is a multilevel building with seating on the first and a mezzanine. Above the mezzanine there appear to be the level offices and glass paneled conference rooms. It just gives a vibe of spacious yet cozy. They have a really nice selection of coffee options I tried the best drink ever. It was delicious. It was creamy with a vanilla without being sweet. They also have a case with some amazing looking goodies however i did not try. They also have sandwiches and toast and wraps on the menu. The star, however, was the coffee. After a busy day, it was so refreshing and hit the spot. Smooth, flavorful and really just what I needed. I will definitely be back

Definitely get the buzz about this place now! Such a cute little coffee spot. My friend and I stopped in for a quick snack and caffeine fix, and they had a solid selection of pastries, coffees, and milk alternatives. I ordered their signature drink - The Best Drink Ever - which is an Americano mixed with their coffee vanilla creamer. You can get it hot or iced, but heads up: there's no sugar-free option. As someone who usually drinks my coffee black, I was surprised by how good it was. Still flavorful, not overly sweet, and super smooth. I also grabbed a bear claw, which was decent but nothing standout. Overall, a great spot to study, hang out, or grab your daily caffeine boost!

Beautiful location! Two stories (although some of the upstairs is blocked), comfy seating and plenty of tables. Music load and just a buzz of activity - lots of groups and good energy. Staff here was super friendly. Service was very speedy. Swing by on a Sunday around 10 am as my car was charging at the boa next door. Need a code to enter the restroom which the cashier happily provided. Pick up orders are near the back - head towards the right side past the counter and shelving is there. I'll certainly be back again when I am in the area.

Came by early in the morning after working out. The staff were friendly, greeted and assisted me after I walked in. The restaurant is very clean, nicely decorated, and has plenty of areas to sit and chat or work. Their smoothie and drinks were good but I felt their chai was a tad too sweet. Their avocado toast was nicely presented and had plenty of chunky avocado. Parking was not good so my friend had to circle the block while I went inside.

On my walk back to my car I stopped by for an afternoon pick me upper. Had to try the seasonal banana pudding best drink ever and it was delicious! What made it special is the banana pudding cold foam and a vanilla wafer cookie. Service at this location is top tier. The barista is so kind and took her time to tell me what's in this drink. Typical cafe vibes except I think this is their flagship location so it's very spacious with a second floor.

My sister and I visited on a Saturday morning around 8:30AM before heading to Balboa Park. The coffee shop is conveniently located on the corner of University and 8th. It was busy when we arrived as there was a group of people waiting to place their order and a group of people waiting to pick up their order. I ordered a Regular Iced Snickerdoodle Latte ($6.59) and a Better Breakfast Sandwich ($9.99) and my sister ordered a Regular Iced Vanilla Bean Latte ($6.50) and also the Better Breakfast Sandwich ($9.99). Note, my sister originally wanted the Bacon Ciabatta, but there must've been some miscommunication when placing the order. It came with a fried egg, bacon, and arugula on a pretzel bun. The sandwich was fine, but the assembly is inconsistent. My sister's egg was friend perfectly, but my egg was extremely runny and not fully cooked. I'm only giving this coffee shop 3-stars because I found a long strand of blond hair half-way through finishing my sandwich. GROSS! The people preparing the food in the back need to wear hair nets. This is food safety 101. The snickerdoodle latte was sweet and cinnamon-y. The vanilla bean latte was terrible. It tasted like watered down sweetened milk. Both drinks lacked coffee flavor. There is plenty of seating on the ground floor and upstairs. I am glad I tried this place and checked it off my list, but sadly, I will not be returning.

Janet was amazing. She is always so sweet. I come to the Hillcrest location, because I love how big and open it is and there is always a place to work:) Best of all is the Vanilla Bean Latte!!

We were greeted with a smile and our food was ready quickly. The music was way loud for Sunday at 7am. The lady who gave us our drinks didn't acknowledge us at all. No thank you. No nothing. Like she didn't care a wit. The croissant was tasty. The zucchini bread was a bit sweat for our tastes but was good.

Excellent coffee and service every time. A must-visit spot for coffee lovers. Great coffee, upbeat vibe, and friendly staff -- Better Buzz always hits the spot

Great place! Spacious and great coffee and service. Parking is a problem and music a bit loud if you're looking for a place to work and make calls. Lots of construction around the neighborhood. Better buzz products always good

Such a cute coffee shop! The inside has a great vibe & everyone working was super friendly. I got the banana pudding iced coffee & it was so good , not overly sweet or too strong, just perfect. Definitely stopping by again next time I'm in Hillcrest!

So yummy!! I got the vanilla bean and it's perfectly sweetened. The coffee to sweetness ratio is perfect

Sweet and savory breakfast croissant sandwich! the sugar sprinkled on top is a little much but the syrup and sandwich was good! This location is very clean and has friendly service. The downside of this location is my least favorite though.

Trendy place recommended by my son. Busy on a Saturday. Find street parking here. Gal at the counter seemed coo when she took our order. Maybe the rest of the workers were not in the mood that day or just tired bec it was a busy day. Plenty of tables to sit at, but unfortunately we didn't get to sit inside. Sat outside (even though it was a tad chilly) Bec it was packed inside w/ everyone on their laptops. Even the 2nd floor had limited seats. Looks like the spot to do work/homework. Drinks were good. Food was good too. Just took longer than anticipated for the Adult Grilled Cheese to come out. They have many pastries in the cases to choose from too. Overall, I would come back. There are several Better Buzz Shops in SD.

When I first arrived, it took a while to find some street parking due to construction work outside the building. I just parked a block away near the Whole Foods. Once I was inside, I straight away knew this was a great environment to work, study, catch up with friends, etc. The store has so much seating and gathers lots of natural light. I ordered the Moroccan Spice Iced Coffee and Vanilla Latte. The spices from the coffee were delicious and refreshing. For anyone who loves spice or wants to be adventurous and try multiple spices, I couldn't recommend this enough. As for the vanilla latte, it was delicious and the espresso was very smooth. The staff were all friendly and helpful with suggestions. I can't wait to try the other drinks next time.

Better Buzz is my go to for morning coffee , preferably the decaf latte w almond milk. Their Better Breakfast sandwich is delicious and their Best Drink Ever is also that.

I was so excited to finally get a chance to try this spot out ... let cashier know this was 1st time here & he was nice & suggested peppermint white mocha.. so I decided to go with it... I seen a cup on counter & I asked if it was mine & she didn't even try to make sure it was mine .. she looked like she was irritated she had to stop to answer my question even tho they all was standing around taking to each other ... not happy with my coffee nor the customer services.. my drink look like black coffee & taste nasty. What a waste of money

Coffee is fantastic, and the acai bowl is BOMB!!! Servers were so nice and welcoming, paid close attention to us! The decor inside the cafe is so cute. Would highly recommend to anyone!

Such a difficult location to visit with limited paid parking along its perimeter and on other streets but still with the wait. If you happened to see an overweight man running over the bridge in Hillcrest, it was me lol. This location is beautifully decorated and has lots of seating areas for patrons to enjoy their drinks and meals. Bring a quarter to give yourself time to grab your items and make it back to your car. I never have enough time to enjoy it though. Staff are friendly and welcoming. I'll be back again when in the area.

I love coming to the hillcrest location because it's so spacious and the service is fast. Today I experienced a lot of kindness from the employees as I accidentally placed my online order for a different location and instead of sending me out they made my order right there and then, in less than 5 minutes! I definitely recommend! (Also their bacon ciabatta is delicious).

Yummy Americano with a maple foam on top! It was a little sweet though so make sure you mix thoroughly. Our drinks came out so fast and there's a lot of seating inside! Very cute vibes and a great study or hangout spot.

I stand by my belief that Better Buzz is mid. The prices do not match the quality of drinks or service. It has that same frantic energy of Starbucks, just in a different font. Instead of trying to upsell people on sizes, alt milk, avocado, and more why don't you actually make suggestions on what is good here? Oh wait - nothing! The only reason I come here is because the high ceilings and cute wood seating areas are nice to work from. The food is always served in to go containers and my sandwich was disheveled and lacking much of anything, too much bread bun! When I asked for the bathroom code they shouted it at me. Gurl, I just paid over $15 for breakfast I think I am entitled to the facilities!

Righteous drinks, great tasting hot and cold foodstuffs, friendly staff, quick service, spacious setting. What more can one ask for? Orange Matcha? Surprisingly, yes! Ube Cookie? Yes! Nice!

The ambiance is fun, hip and oh so welcoming. Barista was helpful and kind. There is food, drinks and merch. Plenty of space to set up with good book, homework or some last minute work emails. #lifeisbetterbuzzed

Drinks are always great, food is super yum, and the atmosphere is so cool! The service is always super quick!

Best Better Buzz location ever! Great coffee and an even better vibe. The employees are the sweetest and make my my day every time I come in!

The staff at this location needs to pay closer attention. The second time this year, I ordered this location's Keurig pods, only to receive a bag of whole beans [the most recent incident occurred this morning]. I let it go the first time, but personnel at this location need to make sure they are sending guests the correct product. I tried to talk to the driver about what was wrong, and they simply blamed the staff at Better Buzz, but offered no solution. My only option was to report it, and reorder [which is not a reasonable option for a mistake that was not mine]. The sticker that the staff put on the bag clearly notates it as pods, but the bag is obviously not big enough to be pods. I called the establishment, and was also offered no solution, simply told I had to go back to Postmates. I love the coffee here, but not sure I can go back after this.

I met up with some friends at Better Buzz on a Saturday morning for a bite and coffee. I ordered the iced snickerdoodle latte 1/2 sweet and the better breakfast sandwich with avocado. The downstairs area was really busy with a line to order, most of the tables occupied and it was pretty loud. We decided to head upstairs and found ourselves a quieter, less busy dining experience. I'm glad I ordered my latter 1/2 sweet because even then it was bordering a bit too sweet for me. Overall it was a good experience, we didn't have to wait too long to order or get our food and drinks for a Saturday and found a table in a less busy quieter area of the restaurant.

I got their honey latte and it was absolutely delicious. You can tell they put a lot of thought into roasting their coffee and the honey latte wasn't too sweet either. Everyone was also super kind and thoughtful - when I had questions about the menu, the person at the counter was happy to answer all of them! Lots of seating inside. It looks like people come here to study/work on weekdays.

I love the idea of their drinks and menu but honestly their drinks fall flat, every single time. They always taste extremely flat and watery with no flavor. You have to add so many things to the drink to make it taste slightly better. Not to mention there is no parking around this location and an average drinks costs about $8+. I wish their coffee was better.

Better Buzz is still as great as it was when it first started, maybe even better. My favorite drinks are the lavender earl grey tea and a dirty matcha. Everyone there is super chill and friendly and always get my order right. The food is pretty banging too, the avocado toast options are stellar. All in all you should def come here if you want a better experience than that of other coffee shops.

First time at this Better Buzz shop. Unfortunately, We weren't very impressed. I had a regular latte and a scone. The coffee was weak in flavor and the scone was a bit dry. My wife and daughter also did not enjoy their coffee. In fact my daughter took hers back and asked them to make another one. My wife is a barista and said "they really need to dial in their espresso machine". The taste of the coffee was just way off. There were various selections of pastries to choose from. The shop is huge and the decor is really nice. Parking can be a challenge and is grab it where ever you can find it. I was really hoping that Better Buzz would be our "go to" place when visiting our daughter, but the coffee just isn't great. We will keep looking.

Oh oh, hate to spill the beans but somebody definitely did not dial in the espresso this morning. We got three lattes and these were not up par with the Better Buzz shops we've visited in the Encinitas area. In fact, they tasted bitter and acidic. Service was mediocre, but the baristas were sure having a good time amongst themselves. This is totally fine, but not at the expense of customers who are trying to get their attention because their drink was made unsatisfactory. Parking is obnoxious like everywhere in the area. I think I'll stick to Spill the Beans. The shop is really cute, though.

Food is great. Got the matcha tea latte with oatmilk and strawberry cold foam! Ambiance is cozy! Service is pretty decent :) would come back!

Beautiful café with very great music. Parking is street parking but easy to find even on the weekend. There is plenty of seating but it's a popular place so you might have to wait around. We were still able to find a seat no problem. They have many different, unique and creative coffee drinks to choose from. They also have a decent amount of food so you can come here and grab a bite as well. I love the vibes in here. Vibing!!!!

Visiting San Diego for a week and came here almost every day for coffee. It out coffee at home to shame. Plus everyone who works there is SO nice!!

I just came by to get the "Best Drink Ever" and it had to be remade because it was supposed to be iced not hot. Well, I think they took that same hot drink, and just poured it over ice. Which in any other circumstance would've been fine except there's chunks of something in the drink. Nuts? Clumps of sugar? I don't know but it's gross. Customer service was great at least

Unique flavors, great location. Decides to give this a try, it was alright. The service was average. Oddly enough, while we were walking through, we stopped by and there was a weird smell coming from the stall

Life is better when you are BUZZED!!!! Me and my wife are all about better buzz. It's the only coffee spot we go to that is considered "fast food or fast coffee " but better buzz is are always go to spot. This location is amazing!!! Honestly I wish they had one closer to us in Glendora and something like this because we would be there all the time. The vibe of this location is productive , relaxing and multi levels that allow you to find your own little spot. The service never disappoints and everyone was amazingly friendly. My favorite go to is the Cafe de Mexico.... It's soooo gooooood. My wife got the jasmine latte and it's so light and perfect. One day me and my wife want to open our own restaurant and we just kept thinking we loved the layout of this location soooo we are taking notes lol.

Today I wasn't too happy come in here once in a while to get their Mexican hot latte coffee today went in to get two iced coffees wasn't too happy we got home. It was filled with nothing but ice when we emptied out the ice we had 2 inches of coffee. This is so upsetting especially using my birthday reward. That really doesn't matter. The point is they shouldn't have gave me two glasses full of ice and 2 inches of coffee to make it look like it was full. I'm glad we waited till we got home. I won't be coming back here anymore. This is so upsetting. good service, but that was not cool at all. I did write the manager and no one ever got back to me.